His team analysed 78 pieces of research involving almost 20,000 participants that focused on the relationship between 11 typically masculine norms.

They were the desire to win, the need for emotional control, risk-taking, violence, dominance, sexual promiscuity, self-reliance, primacy of work, power over women, disdain for homosexuality and the pursuit of status.

Dr Wong’s team also focused on three specific outcomes - negative mental health, positive mental health, and psychological help seeking.

The found that those conforming to the list of masculine norms more closely were more likely to exhibit negative mental health.

Dr Wong said: “The masculine norms of playboy and power over women are the norms most closely associated with sexist attitudes.

“The robust association between conformity to these two norms and negative mental health-related outcomes underscores the idea that sexism is not merely a social injustice, but may also have a detrimental effect on the mental health of those who embrace such attitudes.”

But they study also found that those men most at risk of negative mental health were also the least likely to seek mental health treatment.

Of the traits analysed, the team found that primacy of work had no effect on the individual’s mental health.

Dr Wong said: “Perhaps this is a reflection of the complexity of work and its implications for well-being.

“An excessive focus on work can be harmful to one’s health and interpersonal relationships, but work is also a source of meaning for many individuals.”